Position indicating temporary buoy consisting of a telescopic collapsible pole

ABSTRACT

A telescopic extensible pole to enable the pole to serve as a temporary buoy or marker, normally collapsed to about 4 feet for minimum space storage on a sailboat, and extensible to full length of about 18 feet to be thrown overboard to mark the location of a crew member, fallen overboard from a boat, so that the boat can return directly to the location to find and pick up the fallen crew member. The extensible pole, preferably of fibreglass telescoping sections, has an intermediate float ring, preferably light weight cork, a top pennant, and a weight at the bottom end of the pole, to hold the pole erect as a buoy when thrown into the water. The float ring is secured near the top of the outer cylindrical telescopic section to permit the lower part to be grasped by two hands to swing the collapsed pole, to generate a centrifugal force to centrifuge the telescoped sections to fully extended position against minimum friction between the sections, which is sufficient, however, to hold the sections in place against gravity, when the pole is in vertical position in the water.

O v United States Patent 1 [1 11 3,760,441

Handelman Sept. 25, 1973 POSITION INDICATING TEMPORARY PrimaryExaminer-Milton Buchler BUOY CONSISTING OF A TELESCOPIC AssistantExaminer-Gregory W. OConnor COLLAPSIBLE POLE Attorney-Julius E. Foster[76] Inventor: Philip Handelman, 360 Lexington Ave., New York, N-Y. [22]Flled: U72 A telescopic extensible pole to enable the pole to serve [21]App]. No.: 312,639 as a temporary buoy or marker, normally collapsed toabout 4 feet for minimum space storage on a sailboat, Apphcatmn Dam andextensible to full length of about 18 feet to be [63] 9 123,617 Marchthrown overboard to mark the location of a crew mem- 1971 abandoned her,fallen overboard from a boat, so that the boat can return directly tothe location to find and pick up the [52] US. Cl. 9/8 R, 9/ 14,11116419773, 7 fallen crew member The extensible pole, preferably of 51I t Cl B63 00 fibre-glass telescoping sections, has an intermediate 2float ring, preferably light weight cork, a top pennant, 1 o earc l anda weight at the bottom end of the pole, to hold the l pole erect as abuoy when thrown into the water. The float ring is secured near the topof the outer cylindrical [56] References cued telescopic section topermit the lower part to. be UNITED STATES PATENTS grasped by two handsto swing the collapsed pole, to 1,958,535 5/1934 Elliott 9/8 R generatea centrifugal force to centrifuge the tele- ,432 4/1952 Freas 325/112scoped sections to fully extended position against mini- J i 10/1963 9/9X mum friction between the sections, which is sufficient, 3,280,78910/1966 Lewis et al 9/9 X however, to hold the sections in place againstgravity, when the pole is in vertical position in the water.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEB FIG.3

INVENTOR. Philip Ha ATTORNEY POSITION INDICATING TEMPORARY BUOYCONSISTING or A-xTELESCOPIC COLLAPSIBLE I POLE DESCRIPTION OF THEINVENTION This application is a continuation-in-part of my applicationSer. No. 123,617 filed Mar. 12,1971 now abanwaves that would otherwisemask the man in the water and hamper the rescue operations.

A- serious problem arises during pleasure sailing operations, where highwinds and rough seas may wish a man overboard. A life saving float" ringis customarily thrown overboard to the overboardman in order'to help himstay afloat. In calm waters, the man and the float ring canbe seen, sothat a rescue operation can be visually guided. However, in the case ofhigh winds and consequent high waves, it is difficult to locate a man inthe water, even with such a float ring that would normally indicate thelocation of the man. The use of any auxiliary marker or buoy inconnection with the float ring would seem to be an adequate solution tothis problem. However, the restricted space availableon the deck of asailing vessel for storing such auxiliary buoy presents a problem initself, that is quite serious,

. and has confronted sailing enthusiasts for a long time.

The need for safety equipment is recognized, but the problem of storageof such safety equipment, so it will not interfere with normal operationof the sails, has been a long felt continuing problem because of thelimited amount of space available on the deck of the ves- 86L a h bie?!of t is .inysnt on s to myidca sclu on to both problems, namely, toprovide an indicating marker or buoy thatcan be made immediatelyavailable, upon the occurrence of an emergency situation, as when a manisswept overboard in ,a region-of high winds and high waves; and toprovide such an indicating marker that will also solve the problem ofeasy and simple storage in a minimum of space on the deck of a sailingvessel, while not in use, and yet be immediately available for properservice in an emergency situation.

Since the really hazardous condition that must be provided for, involvesthe presence of high waves, the marker must be relatively high in orderto be seen for some distance from a rescue ship. A height of 18 feetabove water level has been and is currently accepted as reasonablyadequate for such use. The problem arises, however, in storing an 18foot pole on the deck of a pleasure sailing vessel. Various arrangementshave been conventionally used, but each has carried its owndisadvantage, either in occupying too much space, or in impeding thefree movement of the sailors on the deck of the vessel, where free andimmediate access to the sails and their controls must always beavailable.

The use of a full length pole on the deck, or attached to the mast, hasnot solved the problem, because of its inconvenienceto the operators ofthe sailing vessel.

One object of this invention, as a first stage in solving the problemshere involved, has been to provide a telescopic extensible pole thatcould be telescoped to a rel- I frictional conditions between therelatively moving surfaces of the telescopic structure.

Moreover, in view of the emergency situations for which this device isintended, it should be readily operable for conversion-from atelescopically compressed condition of short length, to a telescopicallyextended condition of maximum desired length. Thus, the marker whichwill normally be of a telescopically compressed length of about fourfeet should be quickly operable, by a single individual, to an extensionof eighteen feet in length.

The marker must therefore be free of corrosive response to the saltyatmsophere or to salt water; and it must be readily and quickly operableby a single individual to a fully extended condition.

To permit operation of the marker, to extend its length from acompressed length of about four feet to an extended length of abouteighteen feet, the marker is constructed so that it may be subjected toan extending force, which may be generated as a centrifugal force by arapid whipping movement, imparted to the marker by an individual. Suchaction, in the marker here disclosed, in whipping the short length polefrom short telescopically compressed condition to fully extendedcondition, can be readily accomplished by a single individual. Theproblem here involved, of course, is that the weight of the pole must bewithin limits that will make it light enough for such individualhandling.

Although the friction between the telescoping sections must be free ofthe harmful friction that would make it difficult to whip the pole toits full length, there must nevertheless be sufficient friction tosupport the elements in extended condition, against retelescoping actionby the force of gravity, when the pole is appropriately supported in itserect vertical position in the water. The telescoping sections thereforehave sufficient friction between engaging surfaces that will besufficient to support the weight of the sections above any particularlevel along the pole length.

To be free and independent of the corrosive effect of the salt wateratmosphere, and to have the adequate strength and lightness of weightrequired for this purpose, the pole sections are preferably made withthin walls of fiberglass composition. Of course, treated light-weightmetal, properly protected against the corrosive effect of salt water andsalt air, would serve the purpose so far as lightness of weight might beconcerned, but the fiberglass structure is preferred because of itscomplete resistance to the salt environment.

To provide a float to support the pole in the water, a cork ring ispreferred, as providing a light weight material that will serveadequately to support the full weight of the pole.

In order to provide a proper whipping handle for the whipping action tobe applied to the pole, a part of the bottom length of the outertelescoping section of the pole is provided, below the location of thesupport float ring of cork. The bottom portion of the pole below thefloat ring then serves two purposes. First, it provides a whippinghandle for the pole, disposed below the cork ring, where the handle maybe more conveniently grasped by both hands of the operating individual;and the second friction of that handle extension then serves as asupport for a weight at the lower end of the handle, which helps tostabilize the upper extended structure of the pole, beyond the floatring as a pivot, when the pole is supported in the water.

Thus, the object of the present invention isto provide a telescopicallyextensible pole of light weight noncorrosive material, that may betelescopically compressed to a relatively short length for storage; andthat may be quickly extended to full length upon the occurrence of anemergency condition; with a float ring disposed intermediate the ends ofthe outer section of the pole in its compressed condition, with thelower portion of the outer section serving to provide a natural handlefor whipping the pole, to generate the necessary and sufficientcentrifugal force to move the telescoped sections outwardly to extendedposition, against a minimum amount of friction between the engagingsurfaces of the adjacent sections, which friction is sufficient to holdthe sections in extended position against any restoring force of gravitywhen the pole is floated in vertical extended position.

The buoy, as a telescopic pole, is simple in construction, and isdescribed in more detail in the following specification, taken togetherwith the drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of thetelescopic buoy pole constructed in accordance with the invention, andis shown in a normally telescoped condition;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the buoy pole, as thrown from aboat, and is shown in floating position, and held erect to indicate thelocation to which the boat must return to retrieve a crewman overboard;and

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the buoy polevin position nearthe crewman overboard.

As shown in FIG. 1, a telescopic buoy pole 12 of this inventioncomprises an elongated multi-section telescopic pole of extensible andcollapsible tubing sections 14, with an outer cylinder tubing section 16and several progressively narrower telescoping concentric tubingsections 18, 18a, 18b and 180, etc., fitted progressively andsequentially into each other, so the entire telescoped pole 14 may betelescopically collapsed to within said single outer section length 16,to minimum length for easy storage, and may be extended to substantiallythe total length of the several sections, to be visible in the presenceof high waves. Each inner section is suitably restrained from extendingbeyond the forward end of the next encircling section by suitableconventional stops. A float ring 20 is secured to said outer cylinder 16near the top end of said outer cylinder. A narrow weight 22 is securedto the lower end of the outer cylinder 16.

As shown in FIG. 1, the telescopic tubing 14, when collapsed, enablesthe entire pole to be disposed in a relatively narrow space, in view ofthe narrow float ring 20 and the narrow weight 22.

When a crew member falls overboard from a boat, it is necessary to markthe location to enable the boat or other rescue ships to locate theoverboard crewman. The buoy pole 12 is immediately thrown overboard toserve as a marking buoy, to mark the region where the crewman felloverboard. The outer cylinder 16, below the float ring 20, is graspedand used as a handle to whip the inner telescopic extensible sections 18to full extended length, as in FIG. 2, and the buoy pole 12 is thenthrown overboard. The weight 22 at the lower end of the buoy pole holdsthe pole erect around the float ring body 20 as a pivoting center, andthe top of the buoy pole carries a flag or pennant 24 so that it may bevisible from a distance.

In actual practice when a marking buoy of this type is thrown into thewater, a life preserver, of ring-shape, or usually of U-shape is alsothrown into the water, to provide support for the overboard crew memberto support him while he is waiting to be picked up. Since, in manycases, the waves would normally be sufficient to prevent a clear view ofthe crew member on the floating life preserver, the pennant of thevertical buoy marker, which may be some 12 to 18 feet above the water,will provide the indication to guide a rescue boat directly to the crewman.

To provide a pole of light weight and to resist the corrosive effects ofsalt water and salt sea air, the pole sections are preferably made ofrigid, thin-wall fibre-glass sections, with just slight slidingfriction.

The float ring 20, preferably of cork, is secured near the upper end ofouter cylinder 16, to leave the longer lower part of the outer sectionavailable for grasping by both hands of a crewman operator to swing thecollapsed pole and to generate sufficient centrifugal force to extendthe several telescoped sections 18a, etc., to fully extended position,against the slight friction between adjacent sections. That same slightfriction then serves to hold the extended sections from retelescoping bygravity force, when the pole is erect in the water.

The extra length of the outer section below the float ring also serves asecond purpose, in providing a long moment arm for the weight 22 aroundthe float ring 20, as a pivot, to hold the pole erect.

The invention is not limited to the specific details shown, but maybe-variously modified within the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined in the claims, and may be made of metal or non-metallic materialto withstand water or salt water.

What is claimed is:

1. A temporary emergency buoy, to be put into service quickly, in anemergency situation, to mark the location of a man overboard, as from asailing vessel, said buoy comprising an elongated hollow outer tubularpole section,

closed at its bottom end and open at its top end;

a plurality of telescoping tubular sections of progressively graduateddiameter fitted in said outer section to permit concentric telescopiccollapse within said outer tubular pole section, and said tubularelements being capable of slidingly extending to essentially co-axialextended disposition out of said open end at the top of said outer polesection, with a pennant or flag at the outer end of the outermosttubular section;

a weight secured to said outer section adjacent its bottom end;

and a float element secured to and encircling said section being suchthat their product as a moment outer section at a region intermediatethe two ends force, below water and about the float as a pivot, o saidOuter Section, to divide the Section length will be sufficient to holdthe extended pole substaninto an upper part and a lower part, with thelower i n erect f remote i ibili part of appropriate length to permithuman grip 5 said tubular elements being manually telescopable pmg ofsald lower part wlth both hands to mampu' into said outer section so theentire buoy structure and swmg the enmepole with a whlpplng will occupya minimum of space, as for disposition tion to develop a centrifugalforce sufficient to on a Sailboat cause said telescoped inner sectionsto be expelled 2 A tem mar emer enc buo as in claim 1 in to theirextended position, out of said outer sec- 10 which p y g y I tion, to alength that will make said flag visible said telescopic sections consistof a corrosionagainst a background of high waves, and the frictionbetween said telescopic sections being sufficient to hold said extendedsections against return to concentric telescoped position by an externalunintended force, such as gravity; the length of said lower part of theouter section below the float and the amount of the weight on the end ofsaid outer resistant material in thin section for light weight, namely,fibre-glass mixture, and

said float element consists of a light-weight body,

namely, cork, with sufficient buoyancy to support said emergency buoy.

1. A temporary emergency buoy, to be put into service quickly, in anemergency situation, to mark the location of a man overboard, as from asailing vessel, said buoy comprising an elongated hollow outer tubularpole section, closed at its bottom end and open at its top end; aplurality of telescoping tubular sections of progressively graduateddiameter fitted in said outer section to permit concentric telescopiccollapse within said outer tubular pole section, and said tubularelements being capable of slidingly extending to essentially co-axialextended disposition out of said open end at the top of said outer polesection, with a pennant or flag at the outer end of the outermosttubular section; a weight secured to said outer section adjacent itsbottom end; and a float element secured to and encircling said outersection at a region intermediate the two ends of said outer section, todivide the section length into an upper part and a lower part, with thelower part of appropriate length to permit human gripping of said lowerpart with both hands to manipulate and swing the entire pole with awhipping action to develop a centrifugal force sufficient to cause saidtelescoped inner sections to be expelled to their extended position, outof said outer section, to a length that will make said flag visibleagainst a background of high waves, and the friction between saidtelescopic sections being sufficient to hold said extended sectionsagainst return to concentric telescoped position by an externalunintended force, such as gravity; the length of said lower part of theOuter section below the float and the amount of the weight on the end ofsaid outer section being such that their product as a moment force,below water and about the float as a pivot, will be sufficient to holdthe extended pole substantially erect for remote visibility; saidtubular elements being manually telescopable into said outer section sothe entire buoy structure will occupy a minimum of space, as fordisposition on a sail-boat.
 2. A temporary emergency buoy, as in claim1, in which said telescopic sections consist of a corrosion-resistantmaterial in thin section for light weight, namely, fibre-glass mixture,and said float element consists of a light-weight body, namely, cork,with sufficient buoyancy to support said emergency buoy.